Fireproof construction and method of making same.



No. 68I,728. Patented Sept. 3. 190|. W. ORB. FIREPROOF CONSTRUCTION ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME.

(Application filed Apg. 23, 1900.) (No ModeL) UNTTnn STATES PATENTOFFICE'.

TVILLlAlWI ORR, OF TRENTON, NET/V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NElV J ERSEYWIRE CLOTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FIREPROOF CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 681,728, dated September3, 1901.

Application filed August 23,1900. Serial No. 27,774. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ORR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton, county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fireproof Constructionsand Methods of Making the Same, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cheap strong reproofpartition or wall formed of reticulated metal and plastic material andan improved apparatus and method for making the same, the especialobject being to provide a partition having the required ireproofqualities and strength while employing but a single layer of reticulatedmetal.

As a full understanding of the invention can best be given by anillustration and detailed description of constructions embodying thesame, such a description will now be given in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and showinga partition embodying all the features of the invention in theirpreferred form, and the features forming the invention will then beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a partition inprocess of construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same lookingto the left in Fig. l, with the mold-frame partly broken away and theoifsetting supports sectioned to show the construction. Fig. 3 is avertical section showing a portion of the completed partition.

Referringnow to the drawings, A is the floor, and B the ceiling, betweenwhich the partition is to be built. The ceiling B is shown as of acommon reproof construction, with ceiling-supporting rods b extendingfrom beam to beam and carried by the flanges of the I-beams C,reticulated metal c, which is shown as common woven-wire lathingsupported by and below the rods b, and the plastic material CZ, appliedon the lower side of the reticulated metal c. It will be understood,however, that the ceiling or floor construction at the top of thepartition as well as at the base of the partition may be of any suitableconstruction.

Referring now to the partition construction, the reticulated metalemployed consists of a plurality of sheets, two sheets D D being shown,the width of which is such that when the sheets are placed verticallyone above the other they extend from ceiling to iloor and overlap at thecenter, as shown, the overlap 6o ping being suiiicient so that thesesheets may be used in constructing partitions of different heights, thusavoiding the necessity for making reticulated metal of special widthsfor different partitions. Each of these sheets of reticulated metal hassupporting-rods e secured thereto or woven therein, which rods extendthe full width of the sheets ol' the reticulated metal and projecttherefrom, so as to be used in securing the 7o reticulated metal to theceiling or to the floor. These rods in the successive sheets ofreticulated metal overlap, therefore, between the ceiling and floor whenplaced together to form the partition, and these overlapping portionsare secured together, so as to make a continuous layer of reticulatedmetal, extending vertically between the ceiling and iioor. As shown inthe drawings, the overlapping portions of the sheets of reticulated 8ometal and of the rods e are secured together by horizontal rods f,extending along the opposite sides of the overlapping portions andsecured by wire ties 1 to the rods c at suitable intervals. The rods eare shown as bent 8 5 at right angles and iiattened at their lower endsfor nailing to the floor and at their upper ends are shown as formedwith hooks 2, which are hooked through the lathing and around thestiffening-rods of the lathing. It 9o will be understood, however, thatthese ends of the rods e'may be formed and secured to the ceiling andfloor in any other suitable manner.

The reticulated metal D D is shown as woven-wire lathing; but it will beunderstood that this may be of any suitable form, either of woven ornetted wire or metal rods or strips or perforated or expanded metal,preferably with the mesh such that the plastic roo material may beforced through the meshes, so as to form a body of plastic material onone side of the reticulated metal, as hereinafter described. Concretewill preferably be used, so as to form a strong partition, so that themetallic lathing will be of quite large mesh or size of opening, whichreduces largely the cost of the reticulated metal as compared withconstructions in which line metal is used with a fine plastic material,such as plaster, applied thereto, so that large-mesh metal with theconcrete enables the production of a very cheap fireproof partition,while at the same time the desired strength and fireproof qualities aresecured.

Upon one side of the reticulated metal D D is mounted a verticalmold-frame or ccntering E, this mold-frame preferably being formed withvertical supports g, which are adjustablein length, so that they may beused for partitions of varying heights, these vertical supports g beingshown as consisting of bars overlapping at their ends and securedtogether by bands lO. These supports g may be held in place in anysuitable manner, as by struts-from the floor or otherwise, and serve asthe backing for the molding-frame E, which in the form shown consistssimply of boards arranged one upon the other edgewse between thesupports g and the reticulated metal D D.

For the purpose of holding` the reticulated met-al D D rigidly in avertical plane while avoiding the necessity for the heavy rigid verticalbars commonly used to support reticulated metal in partitionconstructions I preferably use osetting supports upon the molding-frameE, which extend the depth of the body of plastic material desired andserve as gages to determine the proper position of the molding-framerelatively to the reticulated metal, while at the same time supportingthe latter against the pressure of iilling the plastic material throughthe interstices of the metal. As shown, these offsetting supports hconsist of ribs on some of the boards forming the molding-frame, theseribs preferably being wedge-shaped, as shown, so as to be withdrawnreadily from the plastic material after the latter is filled in andleave only narrow openings to be filled, an-d the reticu= lated metal issecured to the molding-frame, so as to prevent its being pressed out ofvertical line by the pressure of the plastic material as the latter isfilled in, by wire ties 3, tied around the ribs h and through holes inthe molding-frame E. By cutting these ties 3 after the plastic materialhas been filled in and allowed to set the moldingframe may readily beremoved.

The plastic material C is preferably lled in through the openings in thereticulated metal in the manner illustrated in Fig. l, a board F beingsupported on the reticulated metal by hooks et on the board extendingthrough the metal and hinged struts 5 on the under side of the boardbearing against the metal. This board F is placed in position upon thereticulated met-al, the concrete or similar plastic material placedthereon and then filled by trowel or otherwise through the openings inthe metal into the space between the latter and the molding-frame E.When the space below the board F has been thus iilled, the board isremoved and moved upward on the reticulated metal to the desired pointand the process thus continued until the full height of the partition isformed. While this is the preferred method of applying the plasticmaterial, it will be understood that the moldboard or centering on oneside of the structure may be used with plastic material filled in in anysuitable manner,either through the meshes of the reticulated metal onthe opposite side of the partition from the centering or from abovebefore the reticulated metal is put in place. After the space betweenthe reticulated metal and the moldboard or centering has been filled inand the material is set the moldboard or centering is removed and theopposite sides of the partition are then preferably finished by coatingwith plaster P, which keys onto the metal and portions of concrete whichproject through its meshes on one side and are held by the moldedconcrete on the opposite side of the partition.

It will be understood that this construction may be used with plasteronly on one side in case the construction is to be placed adjacent to awall instead of forming a partition or that such construction may beused without finishing in plaster on either side. It is especiallydesigned, however, for partition and similar constructions finished withplaster on opposite sides.

It will be seen that the construction is very simple and cheap, while atthe same time quite strong for the amount of material used, and that it'may be made very cheaply with metal of large mesh and requiring no laborof special skill. The body of concrete or similar plastic material notonly makes a strong construction, but also reduces largely the amount ofplaster required as compared with constructions in which the plaster isapplied to the metallic lathin g in forming either solid or hollowpartitions without such a body of lplastic material as a base for theplaster, `thus aiding also in securing a cheap construction.

l. A reproof construction comprising a single vertical center ofreticulated metal, and a body of concrete or similar plastic materialmolded on one side of said center and filling the openings in thereticulated metal, substantially as described.

2. A reproof construction comprising a single vertical center ofreticulated metal, a body of concrete or similar plastic material moldedon one side of said center and filling the openings in the reticulatedmetal, and a covering of plaster or` similar material applied on thereticulated-metal side of the structure thus formed, substantially asdescribed.

IIO

3. A reproof construction comprising a single vertical conter ofreticulated metal, a body of concrete or similar plastic material moldedon one side of said center and filling the openings in the reticulatedmetal, and a covering of plaster or similar material on both sides ofthe structure thus formed, substantially as described.

et. A reproof construction comprising a single vertical center ofreticulated metal, and a body of concrete or similar plastic materialmolded on one side of said center and iilling the openings in thereticulated metal, said reticulated met-al being of such mesh as topermit the body of plastic material to be applied through the openingsin the metal from the opposite side of the latter, substantially asdescribed.

5. A iireproof construction comprising a single vertical center ofreticulated met-al, a body of concrete or similar plastic materialmolded on one side of said center and filling the openings in thereticul'ated metal, said reticulated metal being of such mesh as topermit the body of plastic material to be applied through the openingsin the metal from the opposite side of the latter, and a covering ofplaster or similar material on the reticulated-metal side of thestructure thus formed, substantially as described.

6. A ireproof construction comprising a vertical body of concrete orsimilar plastic material with reticulated metal on one side only andconsisting of sheets of metal having vertical rods woven therein orsecured thereto with the successive sheets overlapping horizontally andhaving the overlapping portions secured together, substantially asdescribed.

7. A partition consisting of a body of concrete or similar plasticmaterial with reticulated metal on one side only and consisting ofsheets of metal having vertical rods woven therein or secured theretowith the successive sheets overlapping horizontally and having theoverlapping portions secured together, and a covering of plaster orsimilar material on one or both sides of the structure,- substantiallyas described.

8. The method of making a reproof con side of said metal a mold-framewith a space between it and the reticulated metal, and filling the spacebetween the reticulated metal and mold-frame with plastic material,substantially as described.

9. The method of making a reproof construction, which consists inerecting a vertical center of reticulated metal, mounting on one side ofsaid metal a mold-frame with a space between it and the reticulatedmetal, filling the space between the reticulated metal and mold-framewith plastic material by introducing it through the reticulated metal,and removing the moldframe, substantially as described.

lO. The method of making a ireproof construction, which consists inerecting a verti-A cal center of reticulated metal, mounting on one sideof said metal a mold-frame with a space between it and the reticulatedmetal and with offsetting supports between the frame and metal forsupporting the latter against pressure, and filling the space betweenthe reticulated metal and mold-frame with plastic material byintroducing it through the reticulated metal, substantially asdescribed.

11. The combination with the vertical reticulated-metal center, of theremovable moldframe, and offsetting projections on said frame by whichthe metal center is offset from the frame and supported against pressuretending to force it toward the frame, substantially as described.

12. The combination with the vertical reticulated'metal center, of theremovable moldframe, offsetting projections on said frame, and. meansfor connecting the metal to the frame, substantially as described.

13. The combination with the vertical retic ulated-metal center, of theremovable moldframe, wedge-shaped offsets 7L on said frame, and meansfor securing the metal to the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM ORR.

lVitnesses:

EDWIN W. ARNOLD, GEO. W. FELTY.

